"Their leadership has produced a great record of accomplishment over my first year as president," Jourdain said.

The 15-member council worked with Mayor Alex B. Morse and other city officials on 100 initiatives and projects, he said.

They include a new urban renewal plan for the Flats, South Holyoke, Churchill and Prospect Heights-Downtown neighborhoods, expanding tax incentives the city can offer to 20 years from five, $500,000 approved for sidewalks, limited the term of council president to six years and named Salinas, Puerto Rico as a "sister city" of Holyoke.

"We cracked through historic barriers to pass common sense economic development and government reform which had languished for years," Jourdain said.